dashbrd

| Dashboard
Use the Dashboard to monitor the status and performance of the switch. The Dashboard displays: Switch information Switch health Bandwidth utilization Packet errors received and sent Power utilization and allocation Fan status Temperature status Port utilization and port errors Tips on using this window: This window appears each time you display the device manager. The Dashboard gauges and graphs are like the graphs on the Trends window. The Dashboard displays instantaneous status, while the Trends graphs displays historical status. By using them together, you can gather the detailed conditions of the switch and its ports. Click Refresh on the toolbar to update the information displayed. The information on this window is automatically updated at each system refresh (every 60 seconds). Other monitoring tools available on the device manager are the Front Panel view (including the Alert LED), the Status field, and the Monitor menu options. Back to the top ### Switch Information The Switch Information area displays reference information about the switch.
Name | The name of this switch configured during initial setup or through Network Assistant. If no name was provided, this field displays the default name, Switch.
Product ID | The model of this switch. This information cannot be changed.
IP Address | The IP address of this switch configured during initial setup or through Network Assistant.
MAC Address | The MAC address of this switch. This information cannot be changed.
Version ID | The version ID of the switch. This information cannot be changed.
Serial Number | The serial number of this switch. This information cannot be changed.
Software | The Cisco IOS software version that this switch is running. This information is updated when you upgrade the switch software.
Contact | The name of the person who is the administrative contact for this switch. This information is entered on the SNMP window or through Network Assistant.
Location | The location of this switch. This information is configured from the SNMP window or through Network Assistant.
Back to the top ### Switch Health The Switch Health area has gauges and indicators that show the overall status of the switch, such as: Bandwidth Used Gauge Packet Error Gauge Power (PoE) Utilization Gauge Fan Indicator Temperature Indicator Back to the top #### Bandwidth Used Gauge The Bandwidth Used gauge shows the total percentage of the switch bandwidth being used. You can also move the pointer over the gauge to get this percentage. Each bar in the gauge represents 10 percent, and does not show increments that are less than 10 percent. The gauge does not show total bandwidth under 5 percent. Data is collected at each 60-second system refresh. To manually refresh the gauge, click Refresh on the toolbar. For a graph that shows bandwidth utilization patterns over incremental instances in time (by 60 seconds, 60 minutes, 24 hours, or 14 days), click View Trends. The Bandwidth Used gauge changes as the switch experiences the network activity from devices sending data through the network. As network activity increases, contention between devices to send data through the network increases. As you monitor utilization on the switch, note whether the percentage of usage is what you expect during that given time of network activity. If utilization is high when you expect it to be low, perhaps a problem exists. As you monitor the switch, note whether the bandwidth utilization is consistently high. This can mean there is congestion in the network. If the switch reaches its maximum bandwidth (above 90 percent utilization) and its buffers become full, it begins to discard the data packets that it receives. Some packet loss in the network is not considered unusual, and the switch is configured to help recover lost packets (such as by signaling to other devices to resend data). However, excessive packet loss can create packet errors, which can degrade overall network performance. To reduce congestion, consider segmenting the network into subnetworks that are connected by other switches or routers. Look for other causes, such as faulty devices or connections, that can also increase bandwidth utilization on the switch. To thoroughly monitor how the switch is handling network traffic, see: Bandwidth utilization graph on the Trends window Packet Error gauge Port Statistics window Back to the top #### Packet Error Gauge The Packet Error gauge shows the total packet error percentage for the switch. You can also move the pointer over the gauge to see this percentage. Each bar in the gauge represents 10 percent and does not show increments that are less than 10 percent. The gauge does not show total packet errors under 5 percent. Data is collected at each 60-second system refresh. To manually refresh the gauge, click Refresh on the toolbar. To see a graph that shows packet error percentages over incremental instances in time (by 60 seconds, 60 minutes, 24 hours, or 14 days), click View Trends. The packet error percentage is calculated by comparing two values: The total number of packets that are sent and received The total number of packets with errors that are sent and received If the packet-error percentage is high (that is, above 10 percent), the switch bandwidth utilization might also be too high (a sign that the network is congested). Other causes for packet errors are faulty cabling and port misconfigurations, such as a duplex mode mismatch (see Port Settings). These problems can cause network users to experience intermittent connectivity or loss of connectivity to network resources (such as servers and printers) or to the Internet. Excessive collisions can cause transmission delays. For example, users might experience excessive delays in sending or receiving information through the network. The Port Statistics window displays some of the types of packet errors collected by the switch. The type of packet error can help you to identify a more precise cause for some network problems. To thoroughly monitor how the switch is handling network traffic, see: Packet Error graph on the Trends window Bandwidth Used gauge Port Utilization and Port Errors graphs Port Statistics window Back to the top ##### Types of Packet Errors These are some types of packet errors.
Runt packets | Packets that are smaller than the allowed minimum size (less than 64 bytes).
Giant packets | Packets that are larger than the allowed maximum size (more than 1518 bytes).
Cyclic redundancy checksum (CRC) errors | Errors generated by the originating LAN station or far-end device do not match the checksum calculated from the data received. On a LAN, this usually means noise or transmission problems on the LAN interface or the LAN bus itself. A high number of CRCs is usually the result of collisions or of a station sending bad data.
Overrun packets | Packets that the receiving device was unable to receive.
Frame packets | Packets received because of a CRC error and a noninteger number of octets. On a LAN, this is usually the result of collisions or a malfunctioning Ethernet device.
Ignored packets | Packets that the interface ignores because the interface hardware is low on internal buffers. These buffers are different from the system buffers. Broadcast storms and bursts of noise can cause the ignored count to increase.
Back to the top #### PoE Gauge The PoE Utilization gauge is only for switches with Power over Ethernet (PoE) ports. The power gauge shows the total percentage of power that is allocated to connected devices that are receiving power from the switch. Move the pointer over the gauge to display the actual percentage of power (in watts) that is used and is remaining. Each bar in the gauge represents 10 percent and does not show increments that are less than 10 percent. The gauge does not show total PoE utilization under 5 percent. Data is collected at each 60-second system refresh. To manually refresh the graph, click Refresh on the toolbar. For a graph that shows power utilization patterns over incremental instances in time (up to ten 60-second refresh cycles), click View Trends. The switch automatically maintains a power budget, monitors and tracks requests for power, and grants power only when it is available. If the switch is powering attached PoE devices, you should expect to see activity on this gauge. Back to the top #### Fan Status The animated fan shows whether the fan (or blower) on the switch is rotating and thus is functioning normally. If the fan is not rotating, check the physical switch. A malfunctioning fan can affect the internal temperature of the switch. Check the temperature to see if the switch has reached an unacceptably high temperature. Back to the top #### Temperature Status The thermometer graphic displays:
Status | Color | Description
OK | Green | Switch internal temperature is within the acceptable temperature range.
Faulty | Red | Switch internal temperature is above the upper temperature threshold. For more information about the switch temperature range, see the switch user guide.
Use the thermometer with the animated fan to monitor the switch internal temperature environment. See the switch user guide for the operating environment guidelines for the switch. The Support page provides a link to the switch documentation. Back to the top ### Port Utilization and Port Errors You can: Click the Port Utilization radio button to display the Port Utilization graph. This graph displays the received utilization (blue) and sent utilization (purple) on each port. Move the pointer over the color-coded bars in the graph for the utilization percentage for the specific ports. Click the Port Errors radio button to display the Port Errors graph. This graph displays the total percentage of errors on each port. Data is collected at each 60-second system refresh. To manually refresh the graph, click Refresh on the toolbar. For a graph that shows per-port patterns over incremental instances in time (by 60 seconds, 60 minutes, 24 hours, or 14 days), click View Trends. For details on the specific port errors detected on each port, click View Port Statistics. To have a better understanding on port performance, see: Port utilization and port errors graphs on the Trends window Bandwidth Used gauge Packet Error gauge Port Statistics window Back to the top #### Port Utilization Graph As you monitor utilization on the ports, note whether the percentage of usage is what you expect during that given time of network activity. If utilization is high when you expect it to be low, a problem might exist. Bandwidth allocation can also be based on whether the connection is operating in half-duplex or full-duplex mode. Back to the top #### Port Errors Graph These are some of the reasons for errors received on and sent from the switch ports: Bad cable connection Defective ports Software problems Driver problems Back to the top